Cuban Government Suspends Consular Services in U.S., Travel to Country at Risk

The Cuban Interests Section in Washington felt obliged to suspend its consular services Tuesday, being unable to find a bank it can use because of the obstacles imposed by the U.S. economic embargo.

M&T Bank, with which the Cuban Interests Section and Cuba’s U.N. mission in New York previously operated, informed Cuba in July that it would no longer provide services to foreign diplomatic missions.

“Due to the restrictions still in force, derived from the U.S. policy of economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba, and despite the numerous efforts made with the Department of State and several banks, it has been impossible for the Cuban Interests Section to find a U.S. or international bank with branches in the U.S. to operate the bank accounts of the Cuban diplomatic missions,” the mission said Tuesday in a statement.

For that reason, the Cuban Interests Section has been obliged to suspend all consular services “until further notice.”

The suspension will have a “negative impact on family visits, academic, cultural, educational, scientific, sports and other kind of exchange” between the United States and Cuba, which President Barack Obama had tried to strengthen since taking power in 2009, the mission said.